Sevenoaks School 11+ entry guide

Considering Sevenoaks School for your child? We’ve collated everything you need to know about 11+ entry. Learn how to apply, what’s on the entrance exam, and how to help your child prepare for success.

Key information for Sevenoaks School

• Address: Sevenoaks School, High Street, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1HU
• Age range and gender: boys and girls aged 11–18
• Type of school: independent day and boarding
• Number of students: 1,100+
• Admissions contact: [email protected]
• 11+ open days: June
• 11+ selection criteria: entrance exam, interviews and group activity
• Financial assistance: means-tested bursaries
• 11+ scholarships: academic and music

About Sevenoaks School

Sevenoaks School, founded in 1432, is a private day and boarding school for children aged 11–18. It occupies a 100-acre campus in Kent, 30 minutes from Central London and Gatwick airport. The school has a global outlook, with a student population made up of around 46 nationalities. Sevenoaks has been named Sunday Times Independent School of the Year twice and is within the top 10 private schools in the UK.

The school welcomes pupils who will benefit from a ‘rigorous, rewarding and supportive education’. It was the first traditional British school to introduce the IB Diploma. Each year, students' IB scores at Sevenoaks are around 8 points more than the global average. Sevenoaks students can develop interests and skills in a wide range of co-curricular activities.

These span a range of subjects, including music, sport, art and drama, while the CCF and Duke of Edinburgh Award are popular options. All pupils get involved in the school's service programme to develop social responsibility. Typical activities include visiting the elderly, working with local primaries, and getting involved in environmental projects.

Dates for your diary

• Registration closes: 15th September in Year 6
• Pre-tests (ISEB/grammar/reasoning): September–November in Year 6
• Entrance exam and group activities: January in Year 6
• Interviews: January in Year 6
• Offers of places: February in Year 6
• Acceptance deadline: March in Year 6

Sevenoaks School 11+ entrance exam

Children applying for 11 plus entry to Sevenoaks School need to take a pre-test. Both the ISEB Common Pre-Test and 11 plus grammar exams which test reasoning (e.g. the Kent Test) can be used as a pre-test. Sevenoaks School will ask you to provide either your child’s ISEB code or grammar test score in early November in Year 6. If your child is not taking either of these exams, you will need to email the admissions team to discuss other options for your child to take a reasoning pre-test in the autumn term.

Following these results, most children are invited to attend the Sevenoaks School assessment day in January in Year 6. This consists of two written tests and a 40-minute group activity.

The two test papers are English and maths:

English

The Sevenoaks 11 plus English paper lasts around one hour, plus five minutes at the start for reading. It is split into two sections:

• Section A: the first section tests reading comprehension. Your child will need to read a passage of text and answer questions to demonstrate their understanding of what they have read. They will need to provide written answers of varying lengths. They should spend around 35 minutes answering the questions in this section.
• Section B: the second section is a creative writing task. Your child will need to write an original piece of writing based on one of two prompts. The prompts vary each year, but might include continuing the story from Section A, describing a particular place, or responding to a particular title, theme, or picture. Your child should spend 25 minutes on this section, including planning time.

Maths

The Sevenoaks 11 plus maths paper also lasts around one hour. The questions in this paper are based on the Key Stage 2 maths topics your child will have learned at school.

The questions in this paper are not multiple-choice. Your child will need to provide written answers to each question. They should also show their working out in the space provided, as they might get marks for correct working – even if their answer is incorrect.

Sevenoaks School makes offers of places in mid-February in Year 6. Places are dependent on your child’s reasoning pre-test score, English and maths test scores, performance in the group activity, and a reference received from your child’s current school.

Atom’s top tips for applying to Sevenoaks School

Sevenoaks School is a renowned and popular school, so competition for places can be high. Here are our top tips to help your child prepare for the selection process.

Bitesize learning

It’s important to build a good knowledge base before school entrance exams. Your child should have a good understanding of the content they’ve been taught at school before testing their knowledge with practice tests.

Using a ‘little and often’ approach when learning is key – our brains encode new information more effectively when dealing with smaller ‘chunks’ of information. For children aged 10–11, child psychologists recommend regular study sessions of 20–30 minutes.

With Atom Home, you don’t need to worry about creating a study schedule. When you enter your target schools, you’ll get a bespoke learning plan tailored to your schools’ entrance exams. Know exactly what your child needs to do each week to confidently pass.

Read widely

Entrance exams test children’s ability to analyse and interpret written information. Regular reading is a great way to help your child build these skills.

Encourage them to read books from different genres and by a diverse range of authors. Increasing the variety of your child’s reading will help them understand different styles, tones and purposes. Meanwhile, reading a little every day will help widen their vocabulary, sharpen their analytical thinking, and enhance their imagination.

Looking for reading inspiration? Check out our Key Stage 2 reading list.

Hone curiosity

Selective schools are often looking for children who are interested in learning. You can help by supporting your child’s broader learning, their intellectual curiosity, and their passion for developing an understanding of the world.

Talk to your child about the world we live in and inspire an interest in current affairs with age-appropriate journalism. It’s also a good idea to make sure they’re benefitting from a rich variety of experiences, such as visiting libraries, museums and galleries.

Refine exam technique

When your child feels confident with their knowledge of the exam topics, they’ll be ready to put their knowledge to the test.

Mock tests can help your child develop problem-solving skills and refine exam technique. They’re also a great way to consolidate learning, while highlighting any knowledge gaps they might want to tackle before exam day.

When you set Sevenoaks School as a target school on Atom Home, your child will get tailored mock tests for Sevenoaks School as part of their learning plan. Know what to expect on exam day.

Celebrate progress

Setting regular, achievable goals and celebrating your child’s progress – no matter how big or small – will help keep their motivation high.

Make sure to encourage a growth mindset. This means celebrating effort, as well as achievement! When your child makes mistakes or struggles to understand a particular topic, help them understand that they’ll improve through practice. Regular praise will help your child improve their resilience when tackling new and challenging topics.